Postojna 🇸🇮

We arrived in Postojna just in time to make the last entry into the Predjama Castle, the largest cave castle in the world. Nestled into a 123 meter cliff the fortress has endured for more than 800 years in various forms. One of its most legendary residents was the rebellious knight Erazem who has been likened to the Slovenian Robin Hood.

Slovenia was in the cross fire for conquest by the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick III and the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus. Ezeram was son to the captain of the Emperor's bodyguard, however, during a heated argument over a deceased friend's honor, Erazem killed a relative of the Emperor. He fled back to his castle, swore allegiance to King Matthias Corvinus and barricaded himself in his impenetrable cave fortress. When the Emperor's men arrived at Predjama they were unable to capture Erazem and decided to starve him out. However, Erazem survived by smuggling food though secret passage ways in the cave system beneath the castle. Stories say Erazem and his men even taunted their enemies by pelting them with cherries.

Unfortunately Erazem was killed during the siege. Legends say one of his servants was bribed by the Emperor's men, told them of a weak spot, and agreed to light a candle in a window as a signal to attack. The weak spot was supposedly the toilet and while historians believe it was actually his bedroom the story is thought to have been spread by the Emperor's men in order to destroy Erazem's admirable reputation and leave him as the knight who died perilously on the loo.

Next day we visited Postojna Caves and boarded the subterranean train to explore the cave system that is home to the most curious aquatic cave salamanders, the olm, which has adapted to life in complete darkness. While essentially blind its other senses are highly developed and it can survive up to 10 years without food. They were first documented in 1689 and during heavy rains olms would wash up to the surface leading to local folklore of baby dragons growing beneath the Earth's crust. The kids were very excited to see the olms in the tank at the end of the cave tour as they look very similar to another creature found in one of their favourite video games, an axolotl.